Education Nation: Preschool problems, possible solutions

ELIGIBLE FOR FREE PRE-SCHOOL IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, BUT THERE ARE NO SPACES FOR THEM. AND GOVERNOR SNYDER WANTS TO CREATE SPACES BY SPENDING $130 MILLION MORE ON PRESCHOOL IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS. LOCAL 4'S STEVE GARAGIOLA SHOWS US HOW THE PROGRAM HELPS SOME METRO DETROIT CHILDREN. Steve: THESE 4-YEAR-OLDS ARE PREPARING FOR COLLEGE, OR MAYBE YOU THINK THEY'RE TOO YOUNG FOR THAT. SOME WOULD SAY 4 IS TOO OLD, THAT WE SHOULD START WHEN THEY'RE YOUNGER. BUT HALF THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP WE SEE AT HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION IS ALREADY PRESENT WHEN CHILDREN ENTER KINDERGARTEN. Steve: IT'S CALLED THE GREAT START READINESS PROGRAM. THERE'S NO COST TO FAMILIES WHO QUALIFY BECAUSE OF A HARDSHIP, OFTEN FINANCIAL. THESE ARE CHILDREN THAT WE KNOW IF WE CAN'T GET THEM ON TRACK BY THE TIME THEY ENTER KINDERGARTEN, THEIR CHANCES FOR SUCCESS IN SCHOOL AND IN LIFE ARE NOT AS GREAT. Steve: THEY LEARN A FULL SPECTRUM OF ACADEMIC SKILLS, MAYBE MORE IMPORTANT ARE LIFE SKILLS THAT WILL SERVE THEM LONG BEYOND HIGH SCHOOL. TAKE ALEX AND PARKER, WHO WANT TO PUT AWAY THE PLASTIC CHAIN. CAN WE DO? SHARE. HOW COULD WE SHARE THESE? WHAT DO YOU THINK, ALEX? BREAK HALF OF IT APART. SO YOU COULD PUT HALF AWAY AND PARKER COULD PUT HALF AWAY. Steve: IF ONLY GROWN-UPS LEARNED SO QUICKLY. THE BENEFITS ARE CLEAR. WHAT ABOUT FOR MOMS AND DADS? I'M A SINGLE PARENT OF TWO KIDS, SO IT'S HELPED ME TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL, TO WORK, AND JUST BE ABLE TO FUNCTION. IT'S BEEN LIKE A SECOND FAMILY TO US. WE'RE A FAMILY. WE COME HERE EVERY DAY AND MAKE CHOICES TOGETHER AND DECISIONS TOGETHER. Steve: AND HAVING THAT KIND OF EXTENDED FAMILY MEANS THE WORLD TO THIS MOM. IT'S HARD TO BE A SINGLE PARENT, AND IT'S NICE TO KNOW THAT THERE'S EDUCATION AND PLACES LIKE THIS FOR YOUR KIDS TO GO TO THAT WILL HELP YOU OUT. Steve: THE GREAT START READINESS PROGRAM OFFERING A FRESH START FOR EVERYONE. Steve: IF THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSAL GOES THROUGH, THE NUMBER WILL RISE TO 48,000. I'M STEVE GARAGIOLA, LOCAL 4. Shawn: WHAT A GREAT PROGRAM! AND YOU'VE BEEN WITNESSING SUCH GREAT VOLUNTEERISM ALL WEEK LONG. Rhonda: I'VE BEEN TO FRASER, BLOOMFIELD, CENTER LINE, AND GROSSE POINTE, AND THEY'VE BEEN DONATING BOOKS TO THE UNITED WAY. FAMILIES AND STUDENTS FROM ACROSS THE METRO AREA HAVE POURED IN BOOKS TO OUR BOOK DRIVE. YESTERDAY, FRASER, OVER 20,000 BOOKS WERE COLLECTED. THEY ONLY HAVE 9 SCHOOLS IN THE WHOLE DISTRICT. EDUCATION NATION HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR THREE YEARS AND NEVER SEEN DONATIONS THIS HIGH IN BOOKS, AND WE'RE BLOWING NBC AWAY IN TERMS OF THE GIVING NATURE THAT WE HAVE HERE IN METRO DETROIT. BUT WE ALREADY KNOW HOW GIVING WE ARE HERE. SPECIAL COVERAGE OF EDUCATION NATION. THE OPENING CEREMONIES IS KICKING OFF AT 9:00 AT THE CHARLES H. WRIGHT MUSEUM OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY. I'LL BE THERE FOLLOWED BY THE DETROIT SUMMIT THAT KICKS OFF AT 9:45. THEN AT 12:30, MY PARTNER DEVIN SCILLIAN TAKES OVER FOR A SPECIAL CALLED JOB ONE. Shawn: AND TOMORROW, OUR CARMEN HARLAN AND STEVE GARAGIOLA WILL HELP HOST A STUDENT TOWN HALL FEATURING HUNDREDS OF DETROIT-AREA STUDENTS. WATCH THAT HERE AT NOON ON SUNDAY.

Nearly 30-thousand children are eligible for free preschool by the state, but there are no

spaces for them.

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder wants to create spaces by spending $130 million more on preschool in the next two years.

"Some people say four is too old to start kindergarten, that we should start with children younger, but we know that half the achievement gap that we see at graduation is present when children enter kindergarten", says Dr. Joan Firestone, Director of Early Childhood Development for Oakland County Schools.

She's talking about the Great Start Readiness program. It is state funded and there is no cost to families who qualify because of hardship.

"These are children that we know that if we can't get them on track by kindergarten their chance of success in school, and life, just aren't as great," added Firestone

While the children learn a full spectrum of academic skills, more important are life skills that will serve them long beyond high school.

The benefits for the children are clear. What about the Moms and Dads?

"I'm a single parent of two kids so it's helped me go back to school, to work and just to function, said Katie Lambert, mother of two children in the program "They've been like a second family to us."

Currently about 32,000 4-year olds are in the Great Start for Kids program.

If the Governor Snyder's proposal goes through that number will rise to 48,000.

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